Electric shaving apparatus



Aug. 28, 1951 B. ODSTRCVZIL 2,565,697

ELECTRIC SHAVING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1948 ImuvnafLDY':

Jim-M Dish-11 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 ELECTRIC SHAVING APPARATUS Boi'ivojOdstril, Prague, Czechoslovakia Application February 25, 1948,Serial'No. 10,860 In Czechoslovakia January 23, 1946 Section 1, PublicLaw 69-0, August s, 1945 Patent expires January 23, 1966 3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric shaving apparatus of th type havingan oscillatable cutting blade and, more particularly, to an improvedvibration free mounting for the motor and oscillating arm of suchapparatus.

Electric shaving devices generally include a cutting blade having anoscillating movement relative to a guard, and this blade is driveneither from a geared electric motor or by an oscillatably mountedarmatur of an electromagnet. The electromagnet is generally an A. C.type, because this type of drive has advantages by reason of itssimplicity and the elimination of any make-andbreak contact mechanism.This elimination is effected by using the natural frequency of thealternating current to effect oscillation of the armature having thecutting blade attached thereto. However, lectric razors incorporatingelectromagnetically oscillated armatures, and also those involving ageared motor driven oscillating blade, have a disadvantage in that thevibrations of the oscillating elements result in oscillations of theentire razor assembly. As the driving system for the oscillating bladehas hitherto been rigidly mounted within the razor casing, th reactionof th driving system to the blade oscillations is transmitted to thecasing, and thus to the operators hand. Consequently, the vibration isfelt by the operator during the shaving which is rather unpleasant asthe vibration is of considerable amplitude due to the fact that theoscillating parts must have sufficient mass to effectively perform theirfunction. The shocks caus d by reaction of the oscillating memberscreate an unpleasant noise and frequently impair the quality of thshave.

In accordance with the present invention, these disadvantages areeliminated by mounting the entire mechanism, including the oscillatableblade and its driving elements, in the casing of the apparatus by meansof elastic or resilient shock absorbing members, or a combination ofshock absorbing members and relatively rigid members. In either case,the drive and the driven elements, with the attached blade, are somounted that they may move relative to the casing within the limits ofelasticity of the shock absorbin members. With such mounting, thereaction of the driving members to the force of the oscillating systemis cushioned in its transmission to the casing, so that theaforementioned vibrations of th casing are effectively dampened.

To accomplish this mounting, in the case of an electromagnet operatedshaving device, the electromagnet may be pivotally mounted within thecasing and have its free end engaged and supported in shock absorbingmounting means within the casing. Alternatively, the oscillatingmagnetic armature may have a shock absorbing member interposed betweenit and th casing and functioning as part of the shock absorbing mountingof the electromagnet. If desired, the rigid pivotal mounting may bereplaced by a shock absorbing connection of the electromagnet to thecasing, with such connection having the characteristic of providing foroscillation of the electromagnet.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention toprovide an improved blade driving arrangement for electrically operablerazors.-

Another object is to provide, in an electrically operable razor, animproved mounting of the driving and driven elements within the razorcasing.

A' further object is to provide an electric shaver in whichsubstantially no vibration is transmitted from the driving and drivenmechanism to the casin of the razor.

These, and other objects, advantages and novel features of the inventionwill be apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 isa longitudinal sectional view through an electric razorembodying th present invention.

Figs. 2 and 3' are longitudinal sectional views through otherembodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the electric shaver therein is shownas'including an oscillatable cuttingblade structure 4 mounted on thefree end of'an armature I which is oscillatably mounted on anelectromagnet structure 2 through the medium of a resilient member suchas a spring 5. The illustrated razor is arranged to be operated byalternating current energization of electromagnet 2 through the mediumof a magnetizing coil 3. When current flows through coil 3, armature lis vibrated in accordance with the cyclic variation of the alternatingcurrent flow in coil 3 to correspondingly oscillate blade structure 4parallel to the face of the operator.

The parts so far described are all mounted within an enclosing casing 5'which may be designed for' gripping by the hand of the operator andwhich includes a switch (not shown) in position for ready access tocontrol the operation of the razor. Armature I has a mass suflicient toperform. its intended function of effectively oscil- 3 lating bladestructure 4 to save the hair. As this armature oscillates, a reaction istransmitted to the driving electromagnet 2, and this reaction has afairly sizeable magnitude depending upon the mass of armature I. In theusual form of razor,

such reaction of electromagnet 2 is transmitted to casing 6 resulting inthe aforementioned disadvantages insofar as comfort and quality of theshaving are concerned.

The present invention avoids these disadvantages in the followingmanner. Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, electromagnet 2 ispivotally mounted in casing 6 on a shaft l0, which'preferably extendsthrough the electromagnet at or near the point of least amplitude orreaction-induced oscillation of the electromagnet. The forward or freeend of the electromagnet, such as the projecting portion of coilstructure 3, is mounted in or between a cushion structure, such asinduicated at l and B, which preferably includes shock absorbingmaterial such as springs or rubber cushions. The shock absorbingmounting, as illustrated, is apertured to provide for free movement ofarmature l which extends therethrough.

With the described construction, the reaction forces of electromagnet 2are transmitted to cushions l, 0, which absorb or dampen these forces sothat substantially no vibration is transmitted to casing 5. Thus, thecasing may be held in steadier relation to the face to obtain a morepleasant shave or higher quality.

Fig. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention in whichcushion 8 is retained between coil 3 and casing 6, while a cushion 9replaces cushion l. The latter is engaged with armature I at or near theportion thereto having the least amplitude of oscillation. As armature land electromagnet 2, including coil 3, tend to move in oppositedirections during each oscillation, cushion members 8 and 9 aresimultaneously compressed or simultaneously expanded, the compressionsand expansions of each cushion member being directed in opposeddirections. As a result, no oscillations are transmitted to casing 6, sothat the latter remains stationary.

Fig. 3 shows a further modification of the invention in which the pivotI is omitted, thus eliminating any direct mechanical connection betweenthe driving and driven mechanism, and casing 6. A further cushion H,which may be a spring or a block of rubber having shock absorbingcharacteristics, is placed between the connection of spring toelectromagnet 2 and the casing 6. The mechanism is thus supported on thecushions 8, 9 and H, resulting in substantially full absorption of anyoscillations by the shock absorbing elements, so that no vibration istransmitted to casing 6.

The described electric razor thus provides a unit with which a pleasant,high quality shave may be obtained as there is practically no vibrationof the casing held in the hand of the operator. All of the vibrations,both those due to the oscillation of the armature and those due to thereaction of the driving electromagnet are absorbed by the shockabsorbing mountings.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application-of the principlesthereto, it should be understood that the invention may be otherwiseembodied without departing from such principles.

I claim:

1. In an electric razor of the dry shave type including a casing, ablade structure mounted for oscillation relative to said casing and amember adapted to oscillate the blade structure; driving means operableto oscillate said member and having a reaction induced oscillationresulting from oscillation of said member, mounting means supportingsaid driving means for pivotal movement relative to the casing andengaging said driving means substantially at the portion thereof havingthe minimum amplitude of oscillation, first shock absorbing meansengaged with said driving means substantially at the point of maxi- 'mumamplitude of oscillation thereof, and second shock absorbing meansengaged with said member substantially at the point of maximum amplitudeof oscillation thereof, said shock absorbing means being so disposed asto be compressed simultaneously and expanded simultaneously by saiddriving means and said member and effective to minimize transmission ofsuch reaction induced oscillations to the casing.

2. In an electric razor of the dry shave type including a casing, ablade structure mounted for oscillation relative to said casing and amember adapted to oscillate the blade structure including an armature;an electromagnet operable to oscillate said armature and having areaction induced oscillation resulting from oscillation of saidarmature, mounting means supporting said electromagnet for pivotalmovement relative to the casing and engaging said electromagnet andshock absorbing means engaged with said electromagnet substantially atthe point of maximum amplitude of oscillation thereof and efiective tominimize transmission of such reaction induced oscillations to thecasing.

3. In an electric razor of the dry shave type including a casing, ablade structure mounted for oscillation relative to said casing and amember adapted to oscillate the blade structure including an armature;an electromagnet operable to oscillate said armature and having areaction induced oscillation resulting from oscillation of saidarmature, mounting means supporting said electromagnet for pivotalmovement relative to the casing and engaging said electromagnetsubstantially at the portion thereof having the minimum amplitude ofoscillation, first shock absorbing means engaged with said electromagnetsubstantially at the point of maximum amplitude of oscillation thereofand second shock absorbing means engaged with said armaturesubstantially at the point of maximum amplitude of oscillation thereof,said shock absorbing means being so disposed as to be compressedsimultaneously and expanded simultaneously by said electromagnet andsaid armature and efiective to minimize transmission of such reactioninduced oscillations to the casing.

BofuvoJ ODSTRCIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,798,756 Redfield Mar. 31, 19312,078,845 Goldschmidt Apr. 27, 1937 2,149,126 Spencer Feb. 28, 19392,283,551 Hanley May 19, 1942 2,301,147 Schaaf Nov. 3, 1942 2,343,237McElroy Mar. 7, 1944

